Hastings Michigan News

The Western Michigan University Drumline is one of seven drumlines which will perform at the Hastings High School Stadium on Sunday.

The West Michigan Drum Bash will march into the Hastings High School Stadium for the event's first visit to Hastings in its 10-year history on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 12 p.m.

Hastings Area Schools Band Director Jen Ewers said the event is not a competition, but a way for bands to see each other perform, something bands don't often get the chance to do.

“This is a great way to develop a community amongst percussionists in West Michigan,” Ewers said.

The event was started by her husband, Landon Ewers, Director of Percussion at Legends Drum and Bugle Corps, and the former director of the Western Michigan University Drumline.

The drum bash will feature 180 percussionists from six area high schools, Hastings, Reeths-Puffer, Portage Northern, Byron Center, Vicksburg and Lakewood, and two universities, Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University. The WMU drumline has two Hastings alums as members, Hannah Radloff and Lindsay Meeker, who earned positions on the WMU Drumline this season.

Each year a new Clinician is invited to work with each drumline. This year's clinician is John MacFarland, the owner of music arranging company Six to Five Productions. He is the program coordinator for Legends Drum and Bugle Corps and the director of the Cleveland Browns Drumline. He has been in the Drumline community for over 25 years and has many years experience working with high school and college drumlines.

Each drumline has a 12-minute time block to perform its marching band show, warmups, or cadences. Afterwards, MacFarland will work with each group on skills it can continue working on over its marching season.

The event is free to the public. In the event of rain, it will be moved to the Hastings High School Performing Arts Center.

Schedule:

12 p.m. - Lakewood High School

12:25 p.m. - Reeths Puffer High School

12:45 p.m. - Portage Northern High School

1:05 p.m. - Byron Center High School

1:25 p.m. - Vicksburg High School

1:45 p.m. - Hastings High School

2:05 p.m. - Lunch

2:40 p.m. - Sectionals: Each University Drumline will teach cadences to the High School Drumlines